


bright and hollow sky

by celestialbisexual



Category: Archive 81 (Podcast)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Well... Mostly, au where either of them has the emotional intelligence necessary to articulate their feelings, i am genuinely tempted to tag this "erotic fanfic" but like, they just kinda make out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 07:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19058500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialbisexual/pseuds/celestialbisexual
Summary: "Pull over. Now."





	bright and hollow sky

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on tumblr said "Nicholas Waters and Static Man talk about your feelings challenge" and so here I am. Answering that challenge 
> 
> Ok but for real Left of the Dial has been so amazing and I'm so excited to see how it ends up. (Presumably nothing like this, which is definitely a good thing lol). The writing has been stellar, and I'm so blown away with the amount of nuance they've managed to inject into the Nicholas/Static Man relationship (and the character of the Clerk, who is amazing, and as the sound design, and everything else as always), and I really hope they stay friends after everything ends and Nicholas doesn't murder Static Man in some dark ritual. I mean if he does it'll probably be super well-written and amazing but it'll also make me really sad.
> 
> Anyway none of that has anything to do with this fic and is just because last time I put my fic on tumblr one of the creators read it and so this is just so that if it happens again they'll know that I think the world of their show and am so impressed with the work they've done. 
> 
> Title is from "The Passenger" by Iggy Pop because of course it is.

Static Man had refused to put on a seatbelt when they’d started this journey. He’d almost thought that Nicholas was going to insist, like the goddamn stick in the mud that he was, but he’d just given Static Man one of his Looks and said nothing.

He was glad he wasn’t wearing one now, because it allowed him to slide halfway into Nicholas’s lap and growl in his ear, “pull over. Now.”

Nicholas yelps, probably more from the shock than anything, but does as he’s asked for once, and pulls onto the shoulder of the highway.

Nicholas turns towards him, mouth already half-open to demand what it was Static Man thought he was doing when Static Man crowds him against the door of the car and kisses him, hard as he can without breaking Nicholas’s jaw.

Kissing is different since he… became what he is. Everything is different, but this… He can still feel the slick slide of Nicholas’s tongue against his, taste his mouth, mint toothpaste and blood from where a tooth caught on his lips. That’s all there, separated by a curtain of, well, static. But also, more pressingly, is his awareness of every one of the veins in Nicholas’s body, the songs they are singing to him, the way they almost press towards his not-hands like cats, begging to be ripped out.

He doesn’t. Wouldn’t. Couldn’t, probably, at this point, and that thought is enough to have him pulling away from the blood in Nicholas’s mouth.

He doesn’t go far, just pulls back to nuzzle the soft skin of Nicholas’s neck, scraping his teeth across it the way Nicholas likes without breaking skin. Saying, _see that I can be careful, for you_. Saying, _see that I’m not going to hurt you_ , even when you hurt me. Saying, _see that I am yours._

Nicholas’s gasp is gratifying, the involuntary way his head thunks back against the window, allowing Static Man better access, more so. But he plants a hand on the solid core where Static Man’s pretty sure his chest used to be, stops Static Man from chasing the line of his throat back up to his lips.

“We can't do this.” He says, as Static Man unbuckles his seatbelt for him.

Static Man sighs. “There’s nobody around,” he replies, putting the appropriate amount of whine in his voice. On paper, it’s very much their usual pattern. Static Man suggests a quickie, Nicholas points out all the reasons they shouldn’t fuck in the car, or in the middle of the woods, or inside of an abandoned warehouse at 3 am, or in Ms. Roland’s office, but he’s kissing Static Man back like he’s drowning before he ever finishes his list.

( _He’s indulging you_ , a voice will whisper in the back of his head. _Because it makes you more pliable._ Static Man always ignores it, but it’s not as easy as it used to be.)

This isn’t that, though, and when Nicholas pushes again Static Man flops back into his own seat without complaint.

“Ok.” Nicholas says. “Ok. Do you wanna explain what… any of that was?”

He’s still breathing rapidly, hair mussed and eyes wild. Blood is smeared on his lips where Static Man nicked them and Static Man can’t fucking handle any of this. “What are you gonna do once this is over?”

Nicholas stares at him for a long moment. “What the hell? You almost made me crash the car-”

“You’ve already crashed the car twice, dude, I don’t think I’m-”

“That’s not the point! We’re _on the run_ -”

“I handled that guy!”

“Well, forgive me for not trusting-”

“Me? That’s right isn’t it? You don’t trust me.” Static Man knows he’s flickering, knows he probably doesn’t look anything like human right now, and isn’t that just fucking perfect? He sighs. “Just answer the fucking question. Please.”

Nicholas looks hurt, and Static Man wants to close his eyes but he has nowhere near enough control to manage that so he just has to stare right into Nicholas’s stupid kicked-puppy face. “I’m… I’m not sure. I still have those tapes from the warehouse in Brighton to go over, so I thought I might spend some time cataloging those, and then maybe follow up on the leads from…”

Static Man laughs, a little hysterically. When he looks up again Nicholas is still giving him eyes like he’s applying for an ASPCA commercial, but he’s pissed again too.

“What?” He snaps, mouth all pursed like he’s eaten a lemon and fuck, Static Man is so in love with him he thinks he’s going to shake apart.

“You’re going to leave me.” Static Man says. “Aren’t you?”

“What?” Nicholas repeats, genuine disbelief this time.

“When we complete this ritual. You’re going to fucking leave me. Say it.” Static Man feels his teeth grinding together as he speaks, but his voice comes out clear. Fucking perks of the body.

Nicholas shakes his head. “I don’t-”

“Yes you will. Yes you will. The second I’m not useful to you you’re going to drop me like trash. Do not lie to me dude, just be fucking honest for once in your goddamn-”

“I don’t know!” Nicholas shouts. “I honestly don’t know. I- have considered the possibility that after this ritual is completed we might… grow apart-”

“ _Grow apart_. You fucking-”

“I’m not saying that’s what I want, of course it’s not, but-” Nicholas breaks off, shoves a hand through his hair. “You haven’t been a person in… a long time. You’re going to have options that you haven’t had in years. You aren’t going to have to stay in... this world if you don’t want to. I would help you get your feet under you, of course, but you could do anything you wanted to.”

“I’m… we’re talking about if I’m going to be a fucking magician once I have a body, Nicholas, we’re talking about us.” Static Man chokes down another hysterical laugh. “Our fucking… relationship. Jesus, dude.”

“I.. I assumed that was _part_ of what you were talking about, yes. But my point still stands. I want you to stay, of course, but things are going to change once you have a body again.” Nicholas smiles, a little rueful. “Your social circle will expand dramatically, for one thing.”

“And you think… what? That I’m gonna just fuck off and leave you once I can talk to people who know what Pokemon is again?”

“No that’s not- I mean yes, I have considered that you might enjoy spending time with people who share your tastes in… well, just about anything, actually.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

“But more importantly, I know that none of this has been… pleasant for you. I’ve been told that the normal response to all of this would be to put this entire chapter of your life behind you. And if that includes me…” Nicholas spreads his hands out, palms up, and shrugs. “Well, I wouldn’t blame you.”

“You didn’t. ‘Put it behind you’ or whatever. After your dad.”

“I’ve been reliably assured that my responses are nowhere in the realm of ‘normal’.”

There’s a joke there, but Static Man does have some tact. “I’m not planning on leaving you.”

“I believe that-” Nicholas starts, but Static Man cuts him off.

“I’m not done. I’m not planning on leaving you, but I’m _super fucking pissed_ that you apparently think that I’m the type of person who would fuck a guy for two years and then leave him with a handshake and a ‘it’s been real’, and that you’ve apparently been assuming that this entire time without bothering to fucking ask me about it!”

“Yes because you’ve always been so forthcoming-”

“Don’t do that.” Static Man hisses, and Nicholas raises an eyebrow at him. _Do what, exactly?_ So concise and condescending and Static Man doesn’t have it in him to hate Nicholas but a few more years of looks like that and he might start trying. “Don’t- don’t do that thing where you take me being pissed at you and make it about how we’re both horrible people and we’re never gonna change. It’s fucking shitty, and it doesn’t fix anything.”

That seems to pull Nicholas’s head out of his ass, if only a little bit. “You’re right. I’m- I apologize. But I still don’t understand what you want from me, Static Man.”

“I think I’ve been pretty clear about what I want from you.” Static Man says, and waits to see what Nicholas will think he’s talking about: the kiss, or his outburst, or his pleas not to make Static Man just his attack dog.

When Nicholas cradles what might’ve been Static Man’s head- might’ve been, but isn’t; Static Man can see bits of what he usually pretends is a face sliding between Nicholas’s fingers and jesus fuck this ritual better work before he floats away, dissolves entirely into the fucking Void- and pulls him in, Static Man figures Nicholas has decided on the easy way out. And he’s disappointed, sure, but it’s not like this is the first time they’ve tried to solve their problems with sex.

But Nicholas’s kiss is gentle, closed-mouthed and quite possibly the tenderest thing he’s ever given Static Man. Static Man moves shifts closer and Nicholas doesn’t stop him, but he makes no moves to deepen the kiss either. So there they are, two grown-ass men- well, a grown-ass man and a grown-ass eldritch entity that wants to be a man- making out in the front seat of a car, and it’s just so goddamn high school and Static Man never wants it to end.

“I’m not… good at this.” Nicholas says when he pulls back. “At interpersonal relationships, I mean. I have difficulty communicating, and I get too absorbed in my work, and I forget anniversaries all the time, and I’m not a good person Static Man, and certainly not a kind one, and-”

“I know that.” Static Man says. “It’s been two years of basically uninterrupted contact dude, I’ve pretty much got your number. And I’m down. For whatever. You wanna hang out and bitch about French history or whatever, that’s cool. And you wanna be monsters? Then we’ll give the fucking Leviathans something to be scared of. You don’t have to change, you just have to trust me.”

“I’ll try.” Nicholas tells him, painfully earnest.

“And I’ll try to trust you.” Static Man replies. He twines almost-fingers around Nicholas’s own. “And we’ll have brains in our heads and feet in our shoes and we’ll steer ourselves in any direction we choose.”

Nicholas laughs. “Did you just quote Dr. Seuss at me?”

“I believe I paraphrased Dr. Seuss actually.”

“That’s not- you’re ridiculous.” Nicholas’s smile, his real one, is a small and dazzling star.

“You love me.” Static Man says, doing everything he can to keep it from being a question.

“I might.” Nicholas tells him, teasing except for all the ways that he’s not, and pulls him in for another kiss, and Static Man feels more real than he has since-

“Wait. Wait is that-? Static Man. Static Man look!”

“Whoa. Holy shit, what the fuck, is that the fucking-?”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments strum the eerie banjo of my heart


End file.
